Method oe and eorm eor bending chute irons



} WITNESSES e'. S.T|BBITS. I METHOD OF AND FORM FOR BENDING CHUTE IRONS. APPALICATION FILED MAY 31,1921. 1,436,549, Patented Nov. 21, 1922 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Hill w ATTORNEY G. S. TIBBITS. METHOD OF AND FORM FOR BENDING CHUTE IRONS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 31. 1921.

1,486,549. I Patented Nov. 21,1922.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORN EY Patente av. 21, 1922.

ease PA .ENT

METHOD OF AND FORM FOR BENDIN'G GHUTE IRONS.

Application filed May 31, 1921. Serial No. 473,897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. Tinerrs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Glarksburg, in the county of Harrison and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Method of and Form for Band ing Chute Irons, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention refers to a method and means for bending iron rods or bars, specifically, chute irons.

In order to turn cans, boxes, packing cases, packages and like articles for purposes of inspection, labeling, packing, etc., skeleton chutes are employed which may be vertical or horizontal or otherwise disposed. These chutes are usually made from a plurality of iron rods or bars assembled in spaced relation, and shaped to engage the sides or ends of the can, box or the like and turn it about an axis longitudinal of the chute. It has been found that properly and accurately to shape the chute irons is a laborious and tedious operation, one attended with no small'difficulties because all the chute irons must be curved exactly alike and should ordinarily have straight end portions. It is the object of this invention to provide a novel method and means for accurately shaping chute irons; although I wish it to be understood that by following my method iron rods and bars having other uses may be manufactured.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings 2- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a preferred form of the mandrel with a channel guide thereon, by which there is shaped an elementof the can chute;

Fig. 2, is a .View similar to Fig. 1, but

seen in 90 degree displacement with respect to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, is an end view of the mandrel in the position of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, is a view similar to Fig. l, but with the channel guide of Fig. 1 replaced by a groove of a shape similar to the channel of Fig. 1;

- Fig. 5, is an end View of the mandrel shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6, is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing a channel comprising a curvature of 90 instead of the 180 degree curvature of Fig. 5;

Fig.7, is an elevation of a can chute made up of four chute irons imparting a 180 degree turn to the can;

Fig. 8. is a section on the line 88 of Fig. 7, with the chute rods of oval cross-section;

Fig. 9, is an end view of a modifiedform of a can chute intended more particularly for tall cans and with the can-directing bars or rods arranged to give a quarter turn to the cans.

Referring more specifically to the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, there is shown a mandrel l, which may be formed of pipe, as will appear from Fig. 3, or may be a solid bar indicated at l in Figs. 4 and 5.

The use of pipe, especially cylindrical pipe, is advantageous in the form of lIlftlk drel shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, wherethere is secured to the surface of the pipe, a channel bar 2, bent longitudinally into a central, helical portion 3 and terminal straight portions 4, with all portions of the channel bar 2 secured to the mandrelby rivets 5, or

otherwise. The rivets may be counter-sunk into the channel of the channel bars so as to offerno impediment or obstruction to shaping a metal bar 6 into conformity with the channel guide 2, which shaping may be readily done if the bar 6 be suitably heated to permit bending thereof.

Tin cans are usually of a type in which the diameter of the can and the height of the can are equal, or nearly so, such a can being shown at 7, in Figs. 7 and 8, and

sometimes termed square cans, or the can may be of greater length than diameter, as indicated at 8 in Fig. 9, such cans being called tall cans. There are also other types of cans, but these need not be herein considered.

A can chute is, as shown in Fig. 7, made up of two pairs of bars 6 displaced about the longitudinal center line of the chute in quadrature, with the intermediate curved or helical portion of the bars so disposed as to define a 180 degree turn; and the ends of the bars beyond the intermediate or helical portion are straight and parallel with the longitudinal axis of the chute. The end portions 9 of the bars are held in fixed relation by means of frames 10, to whichthese bars are riveted or otherwise secured. The frames 10 are conveniently of rectangular outline, and in the chute illustrated in Fig. 7, frames 10 are substantially squarein outline with the bars 6 located inside of the frames, so that no impediment is offered to the travel of a can 7 lengthwise of the upright chute. If a can 7 be introduced into the upper end of the chute shown in Fig. 7, and with one pair of oppositely disposed bars 6 engaging the ends or heads of a can and the other pair of bars 6 engaging the sides of the can, the can, in gravitating to the lower end of the chute, will receive a progressive rotation through a half-turn, so that the ends of the can are reversed in passing through the chute, this reversal being indicated in Fig. 7 where opposite ends of the can are designated by'the letters A and B, respectively.

Instead of providing the mandrel with an exterior channel bar 2 to serve as a guide or former for the can guide or track 6, a groove 11 may be produced directly into the surface of the bar 1, constituting a solid mandrel and'the track bar 6 may be shaped in such groove 11, the result being similar to that produced by the mandrel. 1 with the channel bar 2 thereon.

Under some circumstances, the cans in their travel through the chute need not be rotated more than a quarter turn, in which case the mandrel 1 or the mandrel 1, may have the guide, of but 90 degrees in curvature, as shown at 11 in Fig. 6.

Under such circumstances bars 12, or 13, are bent through 90 degrees of curvature, with the bars 12 bent in an arc of a larger circle than the bars 13. Instead of employing frames 10 there are provided elongated, rectangular frames 14, 15, with one frame at right angles to the other frame and located at opposite ends of the chute. Each bar 12is secured mid-way of the length of the shorter side of the frames 14 and 15, and each bar 13 is secured midway of the longer sides of the frames 14 and 15. Moreover, the bars 12 and 13, which are shown in Fig. 9, are of half-round cross section and may be made by means of the mandrel 1.

The bars 6 may however be of any other convenient cross section. It will be understood that the chutes may be constructed to handle short cans, as in Fig. 7 or tall cans as in Fig. 9. The helically bent bars may be employed where a full half turn of the can is desired, as in Figs. 7 and 8, or a quarter turn, as in Fig. 9, while other degrees of twist of the bars will give greater or less rotation to the cans.

WVhat is claimed is 1. A method'of forming chutes for use in handling tin cans or other articles, which consists in providing an elongated cylindrical mandrel with a helical guide, and shaping thereby a plurality of metal rods or bars into conformity with said guide, and subsequently assembling the rods to form the chute. I

2. The method of forming chutes for handling tin cans or other articles, which consists in providing a cylindrical mandrel with helical channel or guide on the outer surface, shaping rods or bars in said channel or guide into helically curved form with straight ends, and finally assembling 'a'plurality of rods shaped in the guide into a skeleton chute having an intermediate helically curved portion. I

3. In means for the formation of skeleton chutes for use in handling tin cans or other articles, a cylindrical mandrel having an exterior channel parallel at the ends with the longitudinal axis of the mandrel and intermediate said ends shaped into a helical curvedefining an incomplete turn about the mandrel.

4. In means for the formation of skeleton chutes for use in handlingti-n cans or other articles, a cylindrical mandrel, and a channel strip fast to the exterior of the mandrel lengthwise thereof,- with the open side of the channel. outward and with the ends of the channel strip parallel with the longitudinal center line of the mandrel, and the intermediate portion of the'channel strip curved about the mandrel in the form of an elongated helix.

5. In means for the formation of skeleton chutes for use in handling tin cans or other articles, a cylindrical mandrel, and a channel strip fast to the exterior of the mandrel lengthwise thereof, with the open side of the channel outward and with the ends of the channel strip parallel with the longitudinal center line of the mandrel, and the intermediate portion of the channel strip curved about the mandrel in the form of an elongated helix, the channel strip being made fast to the mandrel by fastening devices extending through the bottom of the strip and entering the mandrel.

strip curved about the mandrel in the form 10 of an elongated helix, the mandrel being of less diameter than the interior diameter of the complete chute by the total effective thickness of the bottom of the channel strip.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing 15 as my own, I have hereto aifixed my signature.

GEORGE S. TIBBITS. 

